brown girl dreaming

It's been a really long time since a book touched me so deeply as did brown girl dreaming. It is a book that will stay with you for years after you’ve read it. If I could memorize any book in its entirety, this would be it. In giving us her story, Jacqueline also gives us an incredible insight into American history, and the timing for her book couldn’t have been more fateful. We need for people to read this book. We need for people to understand the weight that words carry in our world. “We all have the same dream, my grandmother says. To live equal in a country that’s supposed to be the land of the free.” If there was a book I could give to every child and adult in our country, brown girl dreaming would be it. I would tell them to read it because it is rich and lovely and funny and sad. I would tell them to open their hearts and minds and understand the story or our past, which is still so clearly and painfully tied to our present. I would tell them, read this book because it will change your life. Because I believe in the power of books. And I believe in one day and someday and this perfect book called brown girl dreaming.

POINTE

There are few books I read in 2014 that stayed with me like Pointe by Brandy Colbert. Told partly in present day and partly in flashbacks, it tells the story of seventeen-year-old aspiring ballerina Theo, whose life crumbled when her childhood best friend, Donovan, disappeared four years earlier. When Donovan reappears suddenly and without warning, and when his kidnapper’s picture is splashed all over the news, Theo must face her past — and the fact that she has her own connection to the kidnapper. Pointe is gritty and raw and tackles some really rough stuff — eating disorders, rape, drugs, and sex, just to name a few — but Colbert handles these topics in an expert way. Theo is flawed to her core yet still remains a character you ultimately root for. A must-read for all young adult fans.

The Truth About Alice

What I loved best about Jennifer Mathieu’s The Truth About Alice — a whipsmart story about the spiraling fallout of rumor, conjecture, blaming and shaming after a tragedy — is its uncanny ear. The authenticity in each of the myriad voices telling Alice Franklin's story both shape and elevate Mathieu’s use of multiple points of view. Characters never resort to gimmicky stereotypes, but push the reader to think harder and deeper about what defines the "slut," the "jock" etc. I think the most hard-hitting aspect of Alice is also what makes it so intriguing — a dread sense, as a reader, that you have been catapulted right back into high school, and are once more held captive to its brutal assumptions and power structures, and of course the very real need to find out how it all turns out in the end. As devastating as it is engrossing, this excellent addition to the contemporary realistic genre also debuts a formidable talent. I will be picking up this author’s next book for sure.

Like No Other

A top YA read for me in 2014 was Like No Other, by Una LaMarche. Set near where I live in Brooklyn, NY, this novel took me into worlds I’ve never experienced, only seen from afar. Devorah is from a strict Hasidic household, and Jaxon is a neighborhood teenager who lives just across the street. He’s black, she’s white; he’s living a traditional teenage life, her life is steeped in Jewish tradition. When they meet in an elevator that gets stuck during a blackout, sparks fly. But their relationship is forbidden, so secret get-togethers and clandestine exchanges are the only ways they can connect. Like No Other is a Romeo and Juliet story that feels achingly real. It’s not overly bubbly, it’s not the stuff of fantasy. It’s honest and authentic and it will leave your heart brimming with hope.

Tomboy

Liz Prince’s Tomboy is the best thing I read all year. It’s a graphic/comic memoir about growing up with gender identity confusion, but the story’s foundation is the familiar, universal experience of adolescence, which is the time when we all start trying to figure out who we are, our place in the world, and how we should understand ourselves in relation to others. This experience is awkward, confusing, occasionally triumphant and frequently hilarious, as countless coming of age stories have documented. But I can’t remember reading one as fresh and charming as the Liz Prince version illustrated here. Text and artwork alike are bursting with energy, and the spirit is one of wry, good humor, presented with a light touch, never preachy. I was rooting for the young Liz from the first few frames. It’s a tale of growth and misadventure that will stay in my mind for years and years, and I imagine it’ll probably have a similar effect on your mind. Really a terrific book.

Gabi A Girl In Pieces

What a debut! Shortlisted for the William Morris Award, and showing up on multiple Best of 2014 lists, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces deserves all its praise. From page one, I couldn’t help but but fall in love with Gabi, high school senior, aspiring poet, self-described fat girl. Gabi navigates some deep waters -- her friend’s pregnancy and the ensuing gossip, her father’s addiction, her mother’s antiquated demands on what it means to be a good Mexican girl, to name just a few. It may seem like a lot, but when have the years we spend in high school felt anything but overwhelming? What Isabel Quintero brings is a true sense of the world of bicultural Latino kids. It is everywhere in the language, in the conflicting social rules, and in the diary entries that give voice to her most aching and honest questions. The novel is by turns heartbreaking and hilarious, sprinkled with all the adult hypocrisies that kids will recognize. I love this novel because it adds a new and exciting voice to Latino fiction, but I love it, too, for being the shameless feminist read every teenage girl deserves.

The Great Greene Heist

Smart, funny and fast paced, The Great Greene Heist is an irresistible caper that will enthrall reluctant and avid readers alike. Varian Johnson’s cinematic writing delivers an “Ocean’s Eleven” feel to a middle school peppered with a charming, diverse characters that reflect today’s young readers.

The Crossover

The Crossover is a novel in free verse that will definitely appeal basketball fans. All that white space and quick imagery will be a sure sell. But the novel is so much more, too. Kwame Alexander captures the quick pace of basketball in his top-notch poetry, but he also manages to capture the world of early teens with an eye that is respectful and true. He balances humor and game action against a thoughtful story centered on family and the complicated dynamics of brothers, both of whom have chops as on the court. Competition, jealousy, love - they’re all in the mix. But so are strong parents - a nice departure from stories where parents are dumb or conveniently absent from the plot. To me, this novel is a sports novel that transcends to become an elegant work that draws a rich and loving picture of family, love, and grief. Come armed with tissues; you’ve been warned.

Complicit

One of my must reads of 2014 is Stephanie Kuehn's sophomore novel, Complicit. Kuehn won the Morris Award for her debut novel Charm & Strange, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I think I loved Complicit even more!

Jamie Henry has to deal with the unexpected news that his wild, unpredictable sister has been released from juvenile detention early. They were always close, but his sister's tumultuous behavior and dangerous temper had driven them apart, before she was sentenced for burning down their neighbor's horse barn. He dreads seeing his sister again, but she is the only one who remembers things about their birth mother, remembers things from his own past. A psychological thriller, you never know who is telling the truth, or how the cards will finally fall in this intense, page turning read.

The Young Elites

My favorite young adult fantasy this year is Marie Lu's The Young Elites. Lu has created a fascinating world for her heroine, Adelina, including a magic system that is fantastic fun to read. Adelina comes into her own when she leaves home, discovering the powers of her unique magic, as she encounters young elites like herself. Dark and sensual, I loved the intrigue and politics of The Young Elites, but what I appreciated the most was the message of friendship, loyalty, as well as the importance of family.

LAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE

Many of the books released in 2014 are beautifully written: deeply moving memoirs, and novels with delightfully intriguing plots. However, in my opinion none are quite as memorable or thought provoking as Laughing At My Nightmare, by Shane Burcaw, an intelligent, outspoken young man who is severely physically disabled by spinal muscular atrophy. Shane is the August Pullman of non-fiction. He is the boy we are reluctant to look at and hesitant to talk to, and Shane knows that. So he reaches out to us instead. In his book Shane is brutally honest about his feelings, admitting to the frustration, tears and pain he experiences in his daily life, using sharp wit, dark humor and self-deprecation in dealing with everything from a broken femur to a broken heart. If you are expecting political correctness, and you object to the use of the “F” word and queasy topics like toileting, you’ll be disappointed. But if you are looking for bravery, honesty, humor, and a book that you will never forget, then you will appreciate my book choice for 2014.

EL DEAFO

Just when you thought the world didn't need any new superheroes, El Deafo flew into 2014 with a tale from the 1970's that'll resonate for decades to come. Cece Bell, an author/illustrator primarily known for lighter fare (sock monkeys and frogs have played starring roles in the her past work), here digs into her own life story to present a girl who, after surviving a bout with meningitis, turns the trauma of the resulting partial deafness into a strength; now she can warn the other kids that a teacher is approaching, for example, thanks to her nifty new hearing device. Voila: El Deafo is born. Illustrated in a poppy color palate, with witty asides to spare, El Deafo is required reading for any middle schooler who will ever share a class with somebody different than they are. (Put another way: for every middle schooler.)

I'll Give You The Sun

Before I tell you my favorite YA book of the year, full disclosure: Jandy Nelson is a friend of mine. Fuller disclosure: We became friends after I read her debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, and tracked her down to fangirl over the gorgeous prose and knife-sharp exploration of grieving. We’ve stayed in loose touch ever since as I’ve not-so-patiently waited for her follow-up. It took five damn years! But it’s here.

I’ll Give You The Sun chronicles the story of twins — Noah and Jude, or NoahandJude, as they’re initially known, so tight is their connection — at ages 13 and age 16, with Noah narrating the earlier timeframe and Jude the latter. In the ensuing years, a tragedy has torn the family apart, and a murky mysterious betrayal has estranged and transformed the twins. My first thought upon finishing this book (well, after I picked my jaw up off the floor) was: Now I get why it took so long. Sun is both structurally virtuosic — the two narratives create a tension-filled mystery and psychological study of the corrosive power of secrets and grief — and emotionally wrenching. That alone is a rare combination in literature, YA or otherwise. But then add in the characters, Noah and Jude, (who feel like four characters, so altered are they in the different timeframes) and a set of wholly realized imperfect parents, and not one but two swoony boys, plus an enigmatic sculptor and a ghost of a dead grandmother who offers advice like “For courage, say your name three times into your closed hand” and refers to God as Clark Gable, and well, you can see why this book is special. And then there’s the language. Jude describes the way a brilliant sculptor works as “wishing with your hands.” Noah, an artist, sums up intense moments in painting titles, (Self-Portrait: Boy Detonates Grenade of Awesome). Sometimes the words feel like they might snap-crackle-pop right off the page.

There’s been some flap in the last year about whether adults should be reading YA. This book is a rebuttal to anyone suggesting YA, because it tells stories of young people, is somehow of lesser stuff. I’ll Give You The Sun is literature. Full stop. In my opinion, it’s not just the best YA book of the year, but one of the best books of the year.

The Winner's Curse

This year, I cannot stop fangirling over The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. Since reading it back in April, my love for this book has started to border on an obsession. Living in a fantasy-esque world torn apart by war, Kestrel is the daughter of a renowned war general who must choose between becoming a soldier herself, or being forced into a marriage she doesn’t want. Her life is further complicated when she purchases a handsome and stubborn slave for her household, but the slave, Arin, is keeping a secret that could change everything. The magnetism between Kestrel and Arin makes for one of the most intense romances I’ve read in a long time, and it’s mixed with plenty of political intrigue, family betrayals, secrecy and lies. If you’re anything like me, you're sure to be clamoring for the next book in the series.

Poisoned Apples: Poems for You My Pretty

If I were to pick one book from 2014 as a favorite, it would be Christine Heppermann’s poetry collection, Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty. It’s so thrilling to see poetry like this on the young adult shelf. The verse is striking, the landscape and imagery, stunning. The themes of coming-to-womanhood, body image, and empowerment all ring true. A champion for teens and adults who see our world as an advertisement for perfection that doesn’t exist.

The Tyrant's Daughter

Books are still the best way to get inside someone else’s skin and see the world as they do. The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson gives us a chance to look through the eyes of Laila, a sixteen-year-old girl abruptly torn from a life of luxury, privilege, and status in her Middle Eastern homeland. Laila grew up believing that her father was a king, and when he is deposed and killed by his own brother — Laila’s uncle — she and her surviving family members must flee to a foreign land: America. In suburban Washington, D.C., she begins a bewildering new life, stripped of every comfort she’s ever known. At first, Laila views the West with disdain. She’s undeniably haughty and contemptuous of the permissive, ridiculous rituals of American high school life. Yet she is such a compelling narrator and her defensive posturing so understandable, you can’t help but connect with her plight. As she begins to uncover some hard truths about her father’s regime, Laila realizes that the rest of the world has a different word for what he was. Not "king" — dictator. She also discovers that some wars cannot be left behind, and she must use her own cunning to outsmart those who are still fighting the battles once fought in a faraway land now lost to her forever. A stunning, original, provocative book that everyone should read.

Anatomy of A Misfit

It was a humbling year to be a YA writer. I was continuously amazed, inspired by, and driven to fits of existential jealousy by a huge quantity of incredibly structured, brilliantly written YA releases this year -- but one that especially sticks with me is Andrea Portes's Anatomy of a Misfit.

The book is difficult to describe because its true specialness lies in the voice of its main character, Anika Dragomir, whose acerbic wit, humor, and all-too-recognizable flaws are as deeply memorable and evocative as her name. It's rare that a book can be as funny and absolutely delightful as it is moving and thought provoking, and Anatomy of a Misfit is both. Through Anika's hilarious and self-searching lens, we get to examine topics as everyday and familiar as the crush du jour and the pressures of popularity, to more serious issues of prejudice and narrow-mindedness, to a riveting and ultimately shocking look at the failures of appearance and pretense to deliver up happiness. It's a strange, surprising, and completely engrossing book, and a must-read for any contemporary YA fan.

The End Or Something Like That

2014 was a beautiful year for books, and one of the most beautiful of all is Ann Dee Ellis’s The End or Something Like That. It’s the story of Emmy, a girl working through the death of her best friend, Kim. This tender, quirky novel takes place against the backdrop of Las Vegas and its neon signs and red rock. The setting — both garish and real, ridiculous and true — is the perfect backdrop for Emmy and Kim and their friendship, and for Emmy’s questions after Kim leaves. What do we do when we lose someone we love? How do we let go? How do we hold on? Is there a way to blur the line between wish and reality? It’s the kind of book you want to share with others, and that the former teacher in me wishes I’d had on hand to give to several students. Not because it’s a how-to guide on getting through grief — it’s the opposite. It’s the friend who meets you there instead, who lets you know you are not alone and who manages, in wonderful and surprising moments, to make you laugh.

-ALLY CONDIE, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Atlantia and the critically acclaimed Matched trilogy

18 of 20

Del Rey/Random House

Red Rising

There were so many truly amazing books released this year, but Red Rising, by Pierce Brown, wins as my “Must Read” for 2014.

This book fully immerse me in its world that when I emerged from its pages I had to remind myself that it was only fiction. Red Rising treads the line between adult and young adult fiction, but due to its character ages I choose to categorize it a very edgy, older YA – a genre-bending blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian. Red Rising is not just a book, it’s an experience! Readers are introduced to 16-year-old Darrow, a lowly “Red” in a color-coded class system. At his young age he’s already a married man, and is also a life-risking miner (not only a minor!) who toils on Mars. After several tragedies befall him and other Reds, he becomes reluctantly but deeply involved with a carefully planned revolution against the higher classes, the “Golds.”

And this is just the set up for a truly wild ride unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The violence in this book is extremely vivid, the relationships wrought with passion and conflict, and choices are made that will not only change the characters’ lives, but give readers something to think about long after the last page is turned. Golden Son, the second book in the trilogy that continues Darrow’s story, is one of my most anticipated reads of 2015!

Tease

The remarkable thing about Tease by Amanda Maciel is that you read the first chapter and you really don’t like the main character. She’s the girl in high school you always avoided — not the main ringleader of the girl-bully crowd, but a close second fiddle to that girl. By the second or third chapter, you find yourself captivated by the chance to get to know how a character like Sara Wharton — being held partially responsible along with her pack of friends for the suicide of their victimized target — thinks and feels. By the end, you feel like walking into every school/parent discussion on the issue of bullying and insisting that every person there read this book to understand the truth: The dangerously bullying kids are far closer to home — and far more like our kids — than many of us want to admit. For too long, parent discussions of bullying have treated these kids as “enemies” and “monsters” without taking into account the simple truth — they’re chillingly “normal” teenagers fueled by insecurity and empowered by each other.

As a parent living one town away from South Hadley, MA, the town where Pheobe Prince’s suicide and the indictment of her tormentors rocked a community and served as a loose basis for this novel, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Though it’s full of strong language and the dark reality of teenage bullying, it speaks to a truth teenagers will recognize and adults need to see.

AMG/Parade Digital

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